Archive for October, 2016

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 156,000 in September. Thus far this year, job growth has averaged 178,000 per month, compared with an average of 229,000 per month in 2015. In September, employment gains occurred in professional and business services and in health care.

Professional and business services employment rose by 67,000 in September and has risen by 582,000 over the year. Over the month, job gains occurred in management and technical consulting services (+16,000), and employment continued to trend up in administrative and support services (+35,000). Health care added 33,000 jobs in September.

Over the past 12 months, health care has added 445,000 jobs. Employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up in September (+30,000) and has increased by 300,000 over the year. Retail trade employment continued to trend up over the month (+22,000).

Within the industry, job gains occurred in clothing and clothing accessories stores (+14,000) and in gasoline stations (+8,000).

Over the year, employment in retail trade has risen by 317,000. Mining employment was unchanged in September after declining by 220,000 from a peak in September 2014.

Employment in other major industries, including construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities, and government, changed little over the month. The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 34.4 hours in September.

In manufacturing, the workweek increased by 0.1 hour to 40.7 hours, while overtime was unchanged at 3.3 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.5 hours.

According to CareerBuilder’s Q4 2016 U.S. Job Forecast, 47 percent of employers expect to increase pay for seasonal workers in Q4. Of those hiring seasonal employees, 75 percent will pay $10 or more per hour, up from 72 percent last year, and nearly 3 in 10 (28 percent) expect to pay $16 or more per hour, up from 19 percent last year.

One-third of employers (33 percent) expect to hire seasonal workers in Q4, the same as last year. An increasing number of these employers are viewing seasonal hiring as a means to test-drive candidates for more permanent roles. Sixty-two percent expect to hire some of their seasonal staff for full-time positions, up from 57 percent last year and a big leap from 42 percent two years ago.

While a significant number of employers will be increasing staff to meet demands of the busier holiday season, others are focused on wrapping up 2016 or getting ready for the New Year. Companies across industries are hiring seasonal workers for:

Customer Service – 37 percent

Administrative/Clerical Support – 19 percent

Accounting/Finance – 16 percent

Inventory Management – 16 percent

Shipping and Delivery – 16 percent

Technology – 15 percent

Marketing – 13 percent

Sales (non-retail) – 13 percent

Hosting/Greeting – 13 percent

Thirty-eight percent of employers added full-time, permanent headcount in Q3, relatively unchanged from 39 percent last year. Ten percent decreased headcount, on par with last year, while 50 percent made no change and 1 percent was unsure.